FLINT, MI -- Members of the Flint City Council filed a lawsuit today against Flint emergency financial manager Ed Kurtz, according to their attorney.

Flint attorney Glenn Cotton said the complaint was filed this afternoon in Genesee County Circuit Court.

Council members are seeking a "declaratory judgment and injunctive relief," Cotton said.

A copy of the complaint was not immediately available Monday evening.

Kurtz, who was appointed in August by the state of Michigan, said this evening that he was not aware of the lawsuit being filed today.

In response to the news, Kurtz said the Michigan attorney general has issued an opinion saying Public Act 72 -- the law that governs emergency financial managers -- is a valid law.

"Until someone says otherwise, I guess I serve," Kurtz said.

The council voted at its Aug. 27 meeting to file the lawsuit against the state's appointment of Kurtz, saying Public Act 72 is being wrongly enforced in the city of Flint.

Several residents encouraged the council to move forward with efforts to remove the emergency financial manager at the council's meeting on Monday night.

"Flint's got to take the lead," resident Eric Mays said, saying the city can set an example for other cities under an emergency manager.

Michael Killbreath, president of the Flint Area Chamber of Commerce,
said the organization provided some financial assistance with the lawsuit, according to a news release.

The council was also scheduled this evening to begin an investigative hearing into actions of the city's former emergency manager, Michael Brown. Council members said they would provide an update on the status of the hearing at the end of the meeting, which was still in progress as of 8 p.m. Monday.